Louisiana Aviation

An Extraordinary History in Photographs

Vincent P. Caire

Publication Year: 2012

At the beginning of the twentieth century the skies presented a new frontier, one that attracted daredevils, businessmen, politicians, and engineers enticed by a new form of transportation. Louisiana entrepreneurs and pilots proved instrumental in ushering in the Golden Age of Aviation. They advanced aircraft design, revolutionized aerial crop dusting, pioneered airmail routes, pushed the limits of stunt flying, and entertained spectators with air races. A pilot and freelance writer with more than twenty years of experience in the aviation industry, Vincent P. Caire chronicles the state’s history of flight in 196 vintage and contemporary photographs, many never-before published.
Photos of early aviation pioneer John Moisant, air racing champion General James Doolittle, barnstormer Roscoe Turner, aircraft designer James Wedell, and founder of Delta Airlines C. E. Woolman reflect Louisiana’s zeal for aeronautics. Caire explains how the efforts of Senator Huey P. Long and Harry P. Williams, co-owner of the Wedell-Williams Air Service in Patterson, Louisiana, influenced the development of viable airmail routes throughout the southeastern United States. Rarely seen photographs depict the Art Deco elegance of the first modern, multioperational passenger terminal in the nation—Shushan Airport in New Orleans.
A captivating visual tour spanning one hundred years, Louisiana Aviation celebrates the state’s air history, evident in Louisiana’s seventy airports, 5,000 aircraft, 7,000 pilots, and numerous airshows in operation today.

Cover

Title Page, Copyright

Contents

Foreword

When Vince told me he was going to write a book about Louisiana
aviation, the first thing that came to mind was, What took you so
long? What a great subject! I have been flying since I was a teenager,
beginning over south Louisiana, and now all over the world for the
motion picture and TV industry. ...

A Note About Louisiana Aviation

Aviation truly touches every part of our lives, and the benefits it brings
to our community border on being immeasurable. For example, agricultural
crop spraying, or “crop-dusting,” ensures healthy food for
our tables. ...

Introduction

Louisiana skies play a significant role in U.S. civil aviation. This collection
of historic and contemporary photographs introduces the places
and personalities associated with this little-known legacy. Spanning
the Pelican State—from the banks of the Red River in Shreveport and
Alexandria, the cotton fields of Monroe, ...

1. Beginnings

The sky presents humanity with a tempting challenge. Though curious and ever versatile,
human beings are simply incapable of naturally defying gravity or maneuvering above the
surface of the earth. ...

2. An Era of Entrepreneurs

Between 1927 and 1935, flying advanced to center stage in popular culture, rivaling Hollywood
in entertaining citizens throughout the country. Ironically, on its way to becoming one
of the forces most influential in shaping the twentieth century, aviation shared the spotlight
with the Great Depression. ...

3. Skies Fit for a Kingfish: Shushan Airport

Governor Huey P. Long hoped to achieve his ambition to win the White House in the 1936
presidential election. As a means of achieving this goal, he intended to transform Louisiana
into a symbol of post-Depression recovery, an advanced utopia where “none should be too
poor and none should be too rich, and every comfort and convenience known to man would
be provided.” ...

4. Transformations

Following the defeat of the Axis powers in 1945, the United States was left with a military
surplus of arms and airplanes. Accompanying the fruits of victory was a home front with an
abundance of vacant military airfields and bases throughout the country. ...

5. Louisiana’s Hometown Airports

In addition to the airports supporting commercial airline operations, an abundance of smaller
general aviation airports thrive throughout the state. These airports have an unmistakable
hometown feel, supported by regional municipalities and the passion of local aviators. ...

Conclusion

The world celebrated its first century of flight in grandeur. Aviation,
progressing from its beginnings with aircraft constructed of fabric,
wood, and string, has been transformed by ever-developing technology,
and has allowed humans to enter the skies of the new millennium
in aircraft capable of transporting five hundred passengers nonstop
more than three-quarters of the way around the globe. ...

Appendix

Acknowledgments

The University of New Orleans Earl K. Long Library, Louisiana and
Special Collections, is home to the Newman Collection, which documents
early civilian aviation in the 1920s and 1930s, and the Shushan
Collection, containing memorabilia from the Shushan family and
documenting the airport’s incredible original splendor. ...

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